James Cole

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service for James W. “Jim” Cole M.D. 88, will be held Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 11:00 am at the First United Methodist Church, with family gathering from 10:00 am until service time. The Rev. Prentiss (Bud) Gordan and Rev. Joe Landrum officiating.

Mask and social distance guide lines will be in place.

Jim served the church in a number of ways. He served several years on the Pastor Parish Committee, he served as a Greeter, Usher and always had a smile. Jim attributed his mother’s Christian love and prayers that he continued to remember as the beginning of his Christianity.

Jim grew up on a grain and dairy farm in Northwest Iowa, where at age six, he started helping his dad and brother milk dairy cows. In winter months he attended school, and in the summer months worked in the fields planting, hoeing, pulling weeds, gathering corn, putting up hay and thrashing oats. There was plenty to do in the two weeks’ vacation from school in the fall. Jim stated that the happiest day of his and his brother’s childhood was when they sold the dairy.

Two years after working on the farm after completion of high school, he enrolled in Simpson College near Des Moines, Iowa. After two years of college, Jim served his country in the US Army in the Korean War and operated heavy equipment, upon returning to the states he taught operation and maintenance of heavy equipment at Fort Leonard in Missouri. The last six months of his two years, he was a heavy equipment operator on the Kansas Turnpike.

After his two years in the service he enrolled at Southern Methodist University as a pre-med student. Jim completed his Pre-Med requirements and a BS degree in Chemistry. Jim attended SMU for three years and while there he met and married Jean Messersmith in 1958. They returned to Iowa where he completed his medical school at the University of Iowa.

After graduation Jim moved to Fresno CA., for a year internship and a year of general surgery residency. During that time Jim decided surgery was not his calling, he applied for urology residency and was accepted. In 1976 Jim married Shirley Cunningham and they started their private practice together where they continued for thirty years.

In 1990 Jim signed a ten-year contract with the US Air Force. After serving three months, Jim was promoted from Major to Lt. Colonel. This was a good time in life. While serving in the Air Force he met a urologist from Tupelo. Jim worked with the Tupelo group in Corinth. After three years Jim and Shirley split from the group and opened their private practice in Corinth. At his retirement in November 2018 he had completed 50 years as a urologist.

Jim is the son of the late George Wesley Cole and Muriel Elizabeth Fowler Cole, he was also preceded in death by his wife, Shirley and his son Bill Cole.

He is survived by his children, Marti Cole, Tracy Cole Lyons, Elizabeth Salow, Frank Cunningham, Chris Cunningham, Lisa Cunningham and thirteen grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial in Jim’s memory, please use a charity of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mcpetersfuneraldirectors.com for the Cole family.

Arrangements are under the care of McPeters Inc. Funeral Directors